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1983 American League Championship Series
The 1983 American League Championship Series was played between the Chicago White Sox and the Baltimore Orioles from October 5 to October 8. The Orioles won the series 3 games to 1. Although the White Sox took game 1 won by a score of 2-1, the Orioles came back to win the last three games of the series. The Orioles went on to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in 5 games in the 1983 World Series. In the regular season the White Sox won the West Division by 20 games with a 99-63 record. The Orioles won the East Division by 6 games with a 98-64 record. Managers: Tony LaRussa (White Sox), Joe Altobelli (Orioles) Umpires: Jim McKean, Durwood Merrill, Nick Bremigan, Jim Evans, Dave Phillips, Mike Reilly Series MVP: Mike Boddicker (Orioles) Television: NBC (Bob Costas and Tony Kubek announcing) Summary Series Games Game One October 5, Memorial Stadium Playing in their first postseason game since the 1959 World Series, the White Sox jumped out to a 1-0 series lead behind a complete-game victory by Hoyt, the American League Cy Young Award winner. Rudy Law scored the game's first run on a Tom Paciorek, and after a 42-minute rain delay in the fourth inning, the White Sox made it 2-0 when Paciorek walked to lead off the sixth, moved to third when Greg Luzinski reached on an Eddie Murray error and scored when Rookie of the Year Ron Kittle grounded into a double play. Cal Ripken Jr. drove in Tito Landrum with two outs in the bottom of the ninth for the Orioles' only run. Game Two October 6, Memorial Stadium Mike Boddicker evened the series with a dominant performance, striking out 14 batters while allowing just five singles and three walks in a shutout victory. Gary Roenicke scored in the second and fourth, then hit a two-run homer in the sixth off losing pitcher Floyd Bannister. Game Three October 7, Comiskey Park White Sox starter Rich Dotson was rocked for six runs, all earned, over five innings, as the Orioles pushed Chicago to the brink of elimination. Murray hit a three-run homer in the top of the first and went on to score four runs in the game. Game Four October 8, Comiskey Park Baltimore eliminated Chicago with a three-run outburst in the top of the 10th, advancing to their first World Series since 1979. White Sox manager Tony LaRussa decided to save Hoyt for a potential Game 5 start and went with Britt Burns instead. Burns pitched nine shutout innings, but the White Sox couldn't push across a run, with shortstop Jerry Dybzinski making a critical baserunning mistake that cost Chicago the potential winning run. With one out in the 10th, Tito Landrum hit a solo homer, ending Burns' night and giving the Orioles all the offense they needed. Chicago scored 1 run in the final 30 innings of the series, and hit .211 as a team with no homers. Four of the team's starters, Harold Baines, Carlton Fisk, Luzinski and Law, all hit below .200. The Orioles would go on to win the 1983 World Series, while the White Sox would have just one winning season in the next seven, and wouldn't make the playoffs again until 1993. External link *Baseball-Reference.com - 1983 ALCS American League Championship Series Category:American League Championship Series Category:Baltimore Orioles Category:Chicago White Sox Category:1980s Category:Postseason series